Our Goodman

The Text is from Herd's MSS., as given by Professor Child to form a regular sequence. The ballad also exists in an English broadside form.

The Story of the ballad has a close counterpart in Flemish Belgium, and in southern France. The German variants, however, have a curious history. The English broadside ballad was translated into German by F. W. Meyer in 1789, and in this form gained such popularity that it was circulated not only as a broadside, but actually in oral tradition,--with the usual result of alteration. Its vogue was not confined to Germany, but spread to Hungary and Scandinavia, a Swedish broadside appearing within ten years of Meyer's translation.

OUR GOODMAN

1.

Hame came our goodman,

And hame came he,

And then he saw a saddle-horse,

Where nae horse should be.

2.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this horse here,

Without the leave o' me?'

Recitative.

'A horse?' quo' she.

'Ay, a horse,' quo' he.

3.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face,

Ill mat ye see!

'Tis naething but a broad sow,

My minnie sent to me.'

'A broad sow?' quo' he.

'Ay, a sow,' quo' shee.

4.

'Far hae I ridden,

And farer hae I gane,

But a saddle on a sow's back

I never saw nane.'

5.

Hame came our goodman,

And hame came he;

He spy'd a pair of jack-boots,

Where nae boots should be.

6.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came these boots here,

Without the leave o' me?'

'Boots?' quo' she.

'Ay, boots,' quo' he.

7.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face,

And ill mat ye see!

It's but a pair of water-stoups,

My minnie sent to me.'

'Water-stoups?' quo' he.

'Ay, water-stoups,' quo' she.

8.

'Far hae I ridden,

And farer hae I gane,

But siller spurs on water-stoups

I saw never nane.'

9.

Hame came our goodman,

And hame came he,

And he saw a sword,

Whare a sword should na be.

10.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this sword here,

Without the leave o' me?'

'A sword?' quo' she.

'Ay, a sword,' quo' he.

11.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face,

Ill mat ye see!

It's but a porridge-spurtle,

My minnie sent to me.'

'A spurtle?' quo' he.

'Ay, a spurtle,' quo' she.

12.

'Far hae I ridden,

And farer hae I gane,

But siller-handed spurtles

I saw never nane.'

13.

Hame came our goodman,

And hame came he;

There he spy'd a powder'd wig,

Where nae wig shoud be.

14.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this wig here,

Without the leave o' me?'

'A wig?' quo' she.

'Ay, a wig,' quo' he.

15.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face,

And ill mat you see!

'Tis naething but a clocken-hen,

My minnie sent to me.'

'Clocken hen?' quo' he.

'Ay, clocken hen,' quo' she.

16.

'Far hae I ridden,

And farer hae I gane,

But powder on a clocken-hen

I saw never nane.'

17.

Hame came our goodman,

And hame came he,

And there he saw a muckle coat,

Where nae coat shoud be.

18.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this coat here,

Without the leave o' me?'

'A coat?' quo' she.

'Ay, a coat,' quo' he.

19.

'Shame fa' your cuckold face,

Ill mat ye see!

It's but a pair o' blankets,

My minnie sent to me.'

'Blankets?' quo' he.

'Ay, blankets,' quo' she.

20.

'Far hae I ridden,

And farer hae I gane,

But buttons upon blankets

I saw never nane.'

21.

Ben went our goodman,

And ben went he,

And there he spy'd a sturdy man,

Where nae man shoud be.

22.

'What's this now, goodwife?

What's this I see?

How came this man here,

Without the leave o' me?'

'A man?' quo' she.

'Ay, a man,' quo' he.

23.

'Poor blind body,

And blinder mat ye be!

It's a new milking-maid,

My mither sent to me.'

'A maid?' quo' he.

'Ay, a maid,' quo' she.

24.

'Far hae I ridden,

And farer hae I gane,

But lang-bearded maidens

I saw never nane.'